Challenge:

In 2010, New Hampshire residents had access to more than $130 million in energy efficiency and sustainable energy programs, funded through a combination of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), ratepayers, and other public resources. In an effort to maximize the effectiveness of the programs, the New Hampshire legislature passed a bill that directed the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (NH PUC) to contract for an independent study of existing policies and programs to uncover efficiencies and stimulate market transformation.

Solution:

In 2011, the NH PUC hired VEIC through a competitive bid process to develop the New Hampshire Independent Study of Energy Policy Issues. Within a nine-month period, VEIC and its partner, Jeffrey H. Taylor Associates, Inc. designed and implemented an extensive stakeholder outreach initiative. The initiative opened up avenues for communication with key thought leaders and program administrators in the energy efficiency and sustainable energy industries.

VEIC conducted an independent review of all major energy efficiency and sustainable energy programs and initiatives in the state. According to Meredith Hatfield, the director of the New Hampshire Office of Energy & Planning, “VEIC dug in deep and conducted a thorough review of every aspect of our clean energy policies and program issues in New Hampshire.” At the conclusion of the study, VEIC provided more than three hundred recommendations designed to improve current program offerings and stimulate energy efficiency practices and sustainable energy use in the state.

Results:

The recommendations set forth by VEIC have served as a foundation for future policy making in New Hampshire.

Legislators, regulators, and industry thought leaders have drawn on the recommendations to identify legislative and regulatory priorities for the state.

Streamlined programs have enabled consumers to reduce energy costs, while stimulating the local economy through new project development.

Measure for Measure: Using the Energy Utility Model to Standardize Evaluation of Transportation Efficiency Measures

As the environmental and financial costs of conventional gasoline become more apparent, there is growing interest in the concept of transportation efficiency. Broadly, this concept involves using less energy to meet current travel demand and often employs a systems-level approach. The transportation sector has much to learn from the electric and thermal energy sectors, where demand management strategies have used established screening tools to assess the environmental and financial benefits of efficiency measures for years. Adoption of such screening tools may be ideal for the transportation sector as electric vehicles (EVs) bring these two sectors together. We present an example of how the Vermont State efficiency screening tool can be used to evaluate a transportation measure: a switch from a conventional vehicle to an electric vehicle. The screening tool results demonstrate that the estimated cost benefits of electric vehicles varies from -$15,911 to $24,645, depending on the model of EV, miles driven annually, and externalities considered, among other factors. The cost effectiveness of EVs was improved by including avoided health costs due to reduced tailpipe emissions. More broadly, our results show that cost-effectiveness screening tools used within the electric and thermal energy sectors provide a meaningful way to assess potential gains in transportation efficiency and can be used for evaluation of other transportation efficiency measures (such as bicycle and walking infrastructure, transit, etc.). Use of such screening tools will aid in communication and collaboration between the energy and transportation sectors, while facilitating a systems-based approach to transportation planning and demand management.

This abstract appears with the permission of the Transportation Research Board. For the complete paper, please visit http://pubsindex.trb.org

About VEIC

VEIC is a sustainable energy company with a mission to enhance the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of clean and efficient energy use for all people. Headquartered in Vermont with offices in Ohio, Washington D.C., and New York state, VEIC has over 32 years’ experience transforming energy systems, specializing in energy efficiency, clean transportation, and renewable energy. In addition to its full-service consulting business, VEIC operates three large-scale energy efficiency utilities: Efficiency Vermont, Efficiency Smart, and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU); and has launched three mission-aligned subsidiaries that promote community-level solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more »